More than 15,500 FAA employees—about a third of the agency’s staff—are facing immediate furloughs owing to the partial shutdown of the US government that started Tuesday.

The Level D full flight simulator (FFS) retains its position as the indispensible device for flight crew training and qualification. What’s changing is airlines’ sharpened focus on lowering operating costs and a market in which new players to the commercial business are vying with long-established airline training and simulator providers.

US airline industry observers were trying to figure out what motivated the US Dept. of Justice (DOJ) to file a lawsuit to block the US Airways-American Airlines merger when the government’s lawyers gave a possible clue: maybe they weren’t really planning to go to trial after all.

As ATW went to press, ICAO was preparing for its 38th Assembly, where the most important issue will be whether a global market-based measures (MBM) scheme for aviation emissions can be achieved. For some critics, the outcome will be judged a failure unless a complete and firm resolution is reached. But that would be the wrong conclusion based on a flawed definition of success.

The European Parliament’s Transport and Tourism Select Committee has voted against new pilot and cabin crew flight time limitations (FTL) proposed by the European Commission, citing a lack of “scientific evidence” underlying the proposed rules.

American Airlines plans to hire about 1,500 new pilots over the next five years, the Dallas/Fort Worth-based carrier said Monday.

An Alitalia Airbus A320-200 skidded off the runway while landing at Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO) Sunday evening.

Plans to unify pilot and cabin crew flight time limitations (FTL) in Europe will hit a critical stage Monday when the European Parliament will decide whether to uphold objections to the proposed new rules.